


A Quarter to Midnight

by paranoidangel



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-15
Updated: 2012-12-15
Packaged: 2017-11-21 05:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/593708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paranoidangel/pseuds/paranoidangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tarrant and Dayna find themselves locked in a vault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Quarter to Midnight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lost_spook](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_spook/gifts).



> I have shamelessly stolen the title from a Press Gang episode.
> 
> Betaed by hhertzof.

"We're stuck," Dayna announced, as she gave up looking for concealed escape routes and sat down on an upturned box. It nearly tipped over as she did so, but she stayed upright.

Tarrant had long since stopped searching and was now leaning against the wall with an amused expression on his face. "Yes, I had worked that out."

She scowled at him. "And what else have you worked out?"

"Not a way to get out, if that's what you're getting at."

They both knew she was, so it wasn't worth replying to. "For once, I wish I was in here with Vila."

Vila had done his job in getting them into the vault and all Tarrant and Dayna had to do was find the super computer. Avon's source had assured them it was on the planet and Orac had communicated with it to establish the details about the vault it was locked in. They'd realised it was a trap just as they were shut in. Given that Vila didn't reply or open the door at Tarrant and Dayna's shouts, he presumably had been captured. That he'd not given them away was something to be said for him: that they were still stuck in here, wasn't.

Tarrant grinned and stood up straight. "I'm not that bad, am I?" he said, despite knowing what she'd meant.

She made a show of looking him up and down - appraising him. "No, but he would be able to get us out of here."

"Even Vila can't open a time-locked vault from the inside." What Vila could do, when forced, was impressive, but it was a shame about the rest of him. "What about you? Any explosives stashed away?"

She put her hands out. "Nothing that would get through those walls."

He sighed and sat beside her. "So we're stuck."

She shifted over so there was enough space for both of them. "Until the vault opens in twenty four hours," she agreed, "or the air runs out."

"Now there's a problem." He looked around, estimating how much air it held and not liking the answer he came up with. Maybe if there was only one of them, they'd be all right, but he didn't want to kill Dayna, always assuming he had a choice, and he wasn't particularly keen on dying for her if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

"But this is a vault," Dayna said slowly, staring at the ceiling.

"Yes, it is." Tarrant looked over at her curiously, but her tone suggested she had an idea, so he didn't complain about her stating the obvious. However, he couldn't see anything interesting on the ceiling. There wasn't even anything worth stealing in the vault - it was full of empty boxes and outdated computer parts. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to lure them here and he didn't like the conclusions that lead to.

"It has automated security to make sure no one steals anything." Dayna stood and paced around the small space.

"Which is why we can't teleport out of it." Even their communicators didn't work. That or the Liberator had been captured too, but Tarrant preferred the first option.

"And a smoke detector." She stopped at the far wall, looking up at a small white cube with a red blinking light that hung on the ceiling.

"Fire will use up more oxygen," he pointed out.

"And set off alarms." Dayna was already rummaging in pockets he didn't know her outfit had. "Of course," she added, "it means someone will show up to open the vault."

"We'll deal with that when it happens." He was confident they could surprise anyone that showed up - they wouldn't expect two people with guns to be inside the vault, otherwise why would they have closed it?

He took up a concealed position by the door, while Dayna set off an explosive device in the middle of the vault. Immediately alarms blared as the small room filled with smoke. "You call that small?" Tarrant complained, coughing.

Dayna shrugged. "Anything smaller wouldn't be very useful."

"Oh, so you didn't plan for being locked in a vault?" he retorted.

She had to save her reply because there was a clang from the door. Tarrant held his breath as a Federation Trooper stormed in. He was easy to take out, along with the one behind him. The rest were more cautious, having seen what happened to their comrades, but Dayna appeared out of the smoke and gunned them down. Then, as they left the vault, she threw another 'small' explosive, halting the troopers on their way down the stairs.

Tarrant lifted his wrist to his mouth. "Liberator, we need teleport now."

Fortunately, Orac was manning the teleport, or so Tarrant assumed, given that there was only a second's delay before the teleport bay on Liberator formed around them. He was surprised to find that Vila was the one with his hands on the controls, smiling at them.

"How did you get up here?" Tarrant asked, taking a few steps towards the desk.

"Teleport," Vila said easily. "You two all right then?"

Tarrant gave him a look as he slid his gun back into the holster. "Where were you?"

Vila shrugged. "When the guards came I hid."

Dayna stepped forward to stand beside Tarrant and folded her arms. "And you didn't come to let us out?"

"I didn't know you were in there. Soundproofed, you see. Avon was just forming a rescue party. Well, after he plotted revenge on the friend who set him up. Well, I say friend, I think he was more of an acquaintance really. Avon doesn't make friends."

Vila's rambling was interrupted by Avon and Cally walking in, buckling their gun belts.

"What took you so long?" Avon asked.

Vila beamed; Tarrant scowled.

"I'm glad you're safe," Cally said, smiling at Tarrant and Dayna.

When they'd turned back and left, Vila following, after a smile back at them, Tarrant stayed where he was, teeth gritted until he was sure he wasn't going to kill Vila. Then he said, "One of these days..."

Dayna put a hand on his arm. "But not this day."

"No, not this day." He sighed.

"Come on," she said, putting her arm through his. "Let me show you where I keep my weapons."


End file.
